Woman in a white lace blouse between two men in three-piece tweed suits in front of a brick building – John Crocket

Wedding Lexicon

Magical outfits for a magical day

Men's wedding attire covers a very wide range, from barefoot on the beach to a tailcoat or morning coat in the cathedral.

Only two people decide what is worn at a wedding: the bride and the groom. The dress code chosen by the couple is usually given on the invitation. Guests follow the requested dress code and should never “outdo” it.

On this page, invited guests will find helpful tips on the requested dress code and what it involves. Future grooms can learn more about the range of classic wedding suits, which you will also find with us.

A slightly less conventional dress code: the tweed suit

The tweed suit for weddings has become an established alternative to the classic wedding outfit. Tweed has a vintage character and also stands for tradition and constancy. A fitting symbol for the occasion.

Bride and groom arm in arm, groom in a green checked tweed suit with bow tie, bride in a light-coloured dress – John Crocket

Bride between two men in checked tweed suits, the bridal bouquet flying through the air – John Crocket

Tweed is chosen more and more often for weddings, because it is classic and relaxed at the same time. This distinctive cloth leaves plenty of room for individual styling and suits many different types of men. Usually this means a three-piece tweed suit: a jacket, a lapelled waistcoat and pleated trousers with turn-ups. With a ticket pocket, two vents and a 3-button front, the jacket stays true to the classic gentleman's look.

The bride is, of course, free to choose her own outfit. Anything is possible, from a white dress to a trouser suit to a women's tweed suit. You can be sure that the lady of the day will have a moment entirely her own.

What else must a vintage wedding have besides the right outfit? The right venue, of course. Popular choices among many couples include castles steeped in history, converted barns on rustic farms, old mills and historic industrial buildings. Some nature lovers even prefer to say their vows on untouched heathland.

Man in a grey three-piece tweed suit with tie and pocket square by a leather armchair – John Crocket

Man in a wine-red three-piece suit with a bow tie, pocket square and buttonhole flower on a path – John Crocket

Man in a beige three-piece tweed suit with tie and buttonhole flower, leaning against a red machine – John Crocket

For a colourful celebration: tweed in every colour

The colour of the tweed suit is yours to choose, according to taste and how bold you wish to be. You can choose a plain suit in muted tones for a simpler look or, if you prefer something more striking, one of the typical tweed patterns. The choice includes herringbone, houndstooth or large checks, which add accents with colourful woven-in wool threads.

Fabric swatches: five tweeds in grey, blue, green, navy and brown with stripes and checks – John Crocket

The finishing touch: the right accessories

Tweed Cap – Stylish and classic, with British charm.

Bow ties: a tweed bow tie by Hanna Hats and a paisley silk bow tie

Bow Ties – Coordinate your colours with the lady at your side. A tweed or silk bow tie makes this easy.

Glossy pocket square in apricot, loosely folded on a white background – John Crocket

Pocket Squares – Pocket squares in coordinating colours are another way to show that you belong.

Brown Derby boot in grained leather with toe cap, eyelets and speed hooks – John Crocket

Shoes – Round off the outfit with the right shoes, for example our Derby Boot.

Married in tweed

Customer photos

Bride and groom in front of a historic façade, groom in a checked tweed jacket with bow tie and flat cap – John Crocket

Groom in a blue tweed suit and flat cap at the open car door, bride inside the car – John Crocket

Bride and groom in a close embrace, groom in a reddish-brown jacket with a buttonhole flower, bride in a lace dress – John Crocket

Bride and groom in an autumnal rocky landscape, groom in a grey three-piece tweed suit, bride with a bouquet – John Crocket

Dark suit for the wedding ceremony

Man in a dark blue suit buttoning his shirt collar, white cuffs visible – John Crocket

If the wedding invitation says “dark suit”, this is binding: none of the male guests arrives at the wedding in a tailcoat or dinner suit, nor, of course, in jeans and trainers. Guests wear a dark grey or dark blue business suit with black shoes and a white shirt, ideally with double cuffs and cufflinks, together with a festive tie and, if you wish, a waistcoat. An eggshell or white pocket square suits this well.

Bride and groom with bouquet, groom in a dark blue suit with bow tie and buttonhole – John Crocket

If the wedding takes place during the day, a light grey suit with light brown shoes can certainly be worn, but only if there is an opportunity to change before the evening, because in the evening you really do have to appear in a dark suit.
In the same way, female wedding guests are expected not to wear a white (evening) dress, because on that day “white” is reserved for the bride and the wedding dress alone.

Man in a dark blue suit with patterned bow tie and brown shoes adjusting his collar – John Crocket

Man in a dark blue suit with a patterned bow tie and a buttonhole flower in front of a staircase – John Crocket

Bride and groom cutting the wedding cake, the groom in a dark blue suit with a bow tie – John Crocket

Light blue striped shirt with double cuff, cufflink and paisley bow tie – John Crocket

The right shirt for a wedding

→ Browse all shirts

→ Go to the Shirt Lexicon

Pair of gold-coloured knot cufflinks on a white background – John Crocket

The finishing touch: accessories for the perfect look

Cufflinks – An elegant piece of jewellery for men. Add an accent with a pair of distinctive cufflinks.

Four ties: patterned in berry, paisley in orange and in gold, herringbone in brown – John Crocket

Pocket Squares and Ties in silk – Whether plain or patterned, these accessories always reflect your individuality and round off your outfit perfectly.

Pair of black Oxford lace-ups with a punched toe cap and punched seams – John Crocket

Shoes – A classic shoe for a classic look. With our Punched Oxford, you cannot go wrong.

In the evening: the dinner suit

If the wedding invitation states “Black Tie” or “evening wear”, men are expected to wear a dinner jacket. The dinner jacket is worn with a black silk bow tie, which is where the term “Black Tie” originally comes from. It is completed by a white dress shirt with a piqué bib front and by black shoes without broguing. For this we recommend the Plain Oxford shoe, a long-standing part of our range. The dinner jacket is traditionally paired with colour-matched trousers finished with a braid stripe.

Plain Oxford with a tuxedo | John Crocket

By day: the morning coat, also known as the morning suit

If the wedding takes place during the day, the morning coat is the choice. The outfit is called a morning suit because it is worn only during the day and never in the evening. The morning suit is still an integral part of the school uniform at the famous Eton College near London. At the well-known Ascot races, too, this outfit is obligatory.

Man in a morning coat with a grey waistcoat and striped trousers beside a woman in a yellow dress – John Crocket

Unlike the tailcoat, the morning coat is bound by a dress code only in its shape. The cloth is entirely a matter of choice, from flannel to covert twill. The classic morning coat is made of dark grey flannel and worn with a light grey waistcoat. At weddings in England, pink or brightly patterned waistcoats are also often worn.

Man in a dark morning coat with grey waistcoat, striped trousers and black lace-up shoes — John Crocket

Blue and white striped shirt with double cuff and a red and blue striped tie – John Crocket

Alongside white shirts with the usual ties (a check interwoven in two or three colours), the English are also quite happy to wear a checked or striped shirt with a colourful tie. At Eton, the pupils even wear evening dress shirts with a wing collar and white piqué bow ties with the morning coat. As a rule, however, a bow tie is not worn with a morning coat. The trousers are striped morning trousers, or alternatively mid-grey flannel trousers. For shoes, the Plain or Punched Oxford is recommended. A matching pocket square is essential.

White tie or full evening dress for the wedding ceremony

If the wedding invitation asks for white tie, or full evening dress, this means the tailcoat. Here the dress code is close to a uniform, and most of us will probably know it from the grand, glittering Vienna Opera Ball.

A tailcoat is always worn with a white bow tie and a lapelled waistcoat in cotton piqué. It is paired with an evening shirt with a wing collar, a stiff piqué front and single cuffs worn with cufflinks.

Tailcoat on a dress form, white bow tie, shirt studs in a box and a black Oxford lace-up shoe – John Crocket

Here, too, a reliable choice of footwear is the Plain Oxford.

One final piece of advice:

We have set out many options for wedding attire here, and in each case our advice is to choose the outer, slightly more unusual end of the range. Whether tweed, black tie or white tie, find your outfit for a wedding to remember.

Explore now